From: Columbia Valley, Washington

Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

Tasting Notes: Bud break in 2016 was a good two weeks ahead of schedule. This can be a good thing if you are worried about ripening a large crop or it can be problematic if the weather turns nasty during bloom resulting in poor fruit set (reduced crop yield) or even worse, a late spring frost can turn beautiful light green shoots into crispy corn flakes. Luckily, the weather cooperated and we made it to Mother’s Day (the traditional end of “winter” in the Columbia Valley) without any frost events. The rest of the vintage was characterized by very moderate temperatures through June and July and a hot/cool pattern in August. This moderate weather combined with the early start resulted in our earliest harvest-to-date. 2016 is a great year for Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The JRG is comprised of a large percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as some whole cluster fermented Merlot and a little Petit Verdot, which serve to fill out the 3rd quarter of the palate. The 2016 wines have the tannin density of the 2012, the concentration of the 2013 and the fruit purity of 2015. I can’t wait to see how these wines develop over the next 20 years.

Pamplin Family Winery was founded to pursue a singular goal – to craft the finest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines with grapes sourced from the top vineyards in the Columbia Valley Appellations of Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, and Walla Walla Valley. The vision for this winery is a collaborative effort between Bob Pamplin and his son-in-law Art North, who both share a passion for great wine. We are a family-owned and operated winery, dedicated to handcrafting superior quality wines through uncompromising attention to detail in the vineyards and winery.

We are devoted in our focus to present only the finest wines for you to enjoy with your family and friends. We are, first and foremost, wine enthusiasts. As a result, we approach winemaking from a consumer perspective – handcrafting wines for true wine fans, not from a business-directed approach with specified annual production goals. We strive to provide wines that are profound expressions of the vintage without constraint. We assemble the best for each vintage regardless of vineyard, variety, or case quantity goals. The end result of applying such high standards is an extremely limited production, ultra-premium wines.

92 Points -Wine Enthusiast
91 Points- Wine Spectator
90 Points -Wine Advocate